Vintage Wedding Fashions
Instructions: Walk down memory lane with these questions about bridal fashion and wedding styles from decades past!
- 1.
Which royal bride's 1947 wedding dress, made from rationed fabric coupons, inspired post-war bridal fashion?
APrincess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II)BPrincess DianaCPrincess MargaretDPrincess Grace of Monaco - 2.
What type of bridal veil, covering the face and flipped back during the ceremony, was the traditional choice in the 1950s?
ABirdcage veilBBlusher veilCMantilla veilDCathedral veil - 3.
Which Hollywood actress set a bridal fashion trend with her high-necked lace wedding dress when she married a prince in 1956?
AGrace KellyBAudrey HepburnCElizabeth TaylorDMarilyn Monroe - 4.
What was the standard color for a groom's wedding suit in the 1950s and 1960s?
ALight grayBWhiteCNavy blueDDark charcoal or black - 5.
What type of ruffled shirt did grooms commonly wear with tuxedos at 1970s weddings?
ARuffled front tuxedo shirtBButton-down OxfordCHenley shirtDBand collar shirt - 6.
What bridal headpiece, a small decorative crown, was the most popular choice for securing a bride's veil in the 1960s?
ATiaraBHeadbandCJuliet capDFlower crown - 7.
Which bridal trend of the 1940s reflected wartime practicality, with brides wearing their 'best dress' rather than a traditional gown?
AWearing borrowed gownsBWearing a suit or day dressCWearing uniformsDWearing paper dresses - 8.
What type of flower bouquet, featuring cascading flowers and greenery trailing downward, was the classic bridal choice of the 1960s?
ARound posyBSingle stemCCascade bouquetDNosegay - 9.
In 1970s weddings, what color tuxedos became fashionable for grooms and groomsmen?
AWhite onlyBSilver metallicCPowder blue and other pastelsDRed and burgundy - 10.
Which store's bridal department was considered the ultimate destination for wedding gowns in New York City for much of the 20th century?
ASaks Fifth AvenueBKleinfeldCBergdorf GoodmanDMacy's - 11.
What wedding dress silhouette, featuring a fitted bodice and extremely full skirt, was most popular in the 1950s?
AMermaidBSheathCEmpire waistDBall gown - 12.
What style of bridesmaid dress, usually matching in color and style for all attendants, became standard practice in the 1950s?
AMix-and-match stylesBAll wore whiteCEach wore their own choiceDIdentical matching dresses - 13.
Which 1981 royal wedding featured a gown with a 25-foot train and enormous puffed sleeves that influenced bridal fashion worldwide?
APrincess Anne's weddingBPrincess Diana's weddingCPrincess Margaret's weddingDSarah Ferguson's wedding - 14.
What did the tradition of 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue' represent at mid-century weddings?
AGood luck for the brideBGift suggestionsCReligious customsDFashion requirements - 15.
What simple, sleek wedding dress style became popular in the 1960s, reflecting the mod fashion movement?
AVictorian-style gownBMermaid gownCBall gownDShort shift or mini dress
Answer Key
Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip in 1947, and her Norman Hartnell-designed gown, paid for with saved ration coupons, inspired brides during the austerity era.
The blusher veil, which covered the bride's face as she walked down the aisle and was lifted by her father or groom, was standard etiquette in the 1950s.
Grace Kelly's 1956 wedding gown, designed by Helen Rose of MGM, featured a high neckline, long lace sleeves, and a full skirt that became one of the most copied bridal designs ever.
Grooms in the 1950s and 1960s typically wore dark charcoal or black suits or tuxedos, following formal wedding traditions of the era.
Ruffled front tuxedo shirts were a signature 1970s groom's look, often in pastel colors with matching velvet bow ties.
Tiaras and small rhinestone crowns were the favored headpieces for brides in the 1960s, adding sparkle and a touch of royalty to the bridal look.
During WWII, fabric rationing meant many brides wore their best suit or day dress instead of a traditional white gown, sometimes in colors like blue or pink.
The cascade (or waterfall) bouquet, with flowers and trailing greenery flowing downward, was the most popular bridal bouquet style of the 1960s.
Pastel-colored tuxedos, especially powder blue, ruffled shirts, and wide lapels became the quintessential 1970s groom's look at weddings.
Kleinfeld, originally in Brooklyn (later Manhattan), became the most famous bridal salon in America, offering an enormous selection of designer wedding gowns.
The ball gown silhouette, with its cinched waist and voluminous skirt supported by petticoats, perfectly reflected the romantic, feminine ideal of 1950s fashion.
The tradition of bridesmaids wearing identical dresses in a matching color became firmly established in the 1950s, often in pastel shades.
Princess Diana's 1981 wedding gown by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, with its dramatic 25-foot train and puffed sleeves, became the most imitated bridal design of the decade.
This Victorian-era rhyme remained a beloved wedding tradition through the mid-20th century, with each item symbolizing a different type of good luck for the bride.
The 1960s mod movement brought shorter, simpler wedding dresses into fashion, with some brides even wearing mini-length shift dresses for their ceremonies.